A minimum of sixty semester hours from an accredited college or university (The department will waive thirty (30) hours of the college requirement if you have three (3) years of active duty military service with nothing less than an honorable discharge; or two (2) years prior law enforcement experience.)

Must be between 21 and 45 years of age (unless a prior member of the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System)

Excellent physical condition

Valid driver’s license

Legal resident of the United States

If applicable, military service with an honorable discharge as stipulated on a DD214

Upon your appointment as a Norman Police Recruit, you will attend the Norman Police Academy. You will participate in an intensive training program that exceeds the minimum standards set forth by the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) and includes modules on:

Criminal Law

Firearms Training

Police Vehicle Operations

Patrol Procedures and Tactics

Community Policing

Investigative Techniques

Human Relations

Standard Operating Procedures

Accident Investigation

Custody and Control

Physical Fitness

NPD Academy

Your career as a Norman police officer begins with extensive training at the Norman Police Department’s CLEET accredited academy where you will draw full salary and benefits. Academy training includes classroom instruction and practical field exercises on subjects ranging from criminal law to self-defense.

Field Training

After graduation from the Academy, Probationary Officers will participate in Field Training and will be assigned a Police Training Officer (PTO) on any one of the three patrol shifts. Probationary Officers are required to complete a minimum of fifteen weeks of on the job training and will rotate through three different work shifts.

Solo Assignment

In Phase 2 of Field Training, Probationary Officers are assigned solo patrol duties for the remainder of their first year of employment. After successful completion of this training phase, they are removed from probationary status. Daily activities involve patrolling the city of Norman, responding to calls for service, investigating crimes and traffic accidents, making arrests, issuing citations, working with citizens to solve community problems, assisting the fire department and hospital paramedics, and testifying in municipal and state court.

Specialties

As your career develops, you may discover that you have talents in certain specialized areas of law enforcement. You may wish to apply for a position within the police department where your talents can be better utilized. Special duty assignments and police teams that are available at the Norman Police Department include:

Bicycle Team

Bomb Squad

CIRT Team

Crime Scene Technician

Criminal Investigations

Crisis Negotiation

SWAT Team

Field Training Officer

Honor Guard

K-9

Physical Fitness

Instructor Pistol Team

Special Operations (Narcotics)

Traffic Enforcement

Fraternal Order of Police

The bargaining unit for all commissioned personnel is the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). The FOP and the City of Norman conduct yearly contract negotiations. The benefits, salaries, and other working conditions that follow are not meant to be all-inclusive. Instead, they are intended to give potential applicants an idea of the benefits available under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the FOP and the City of Norman.

The above number represents the base pay for police officers and does not include college incentive pay, holiday pay, overtime pay, longevity pay, shift differential and uniform and cleaning allowances.